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Thursday DECLUTTERING!

School Challenge: Computer desks and your desk and/or workspace- whether it has a computer or not! Did you know this week contains a "Clean Your Desk Day"?

Inspiring Thought: Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. - Marie Curie

For me today:

read aloud

meeting time

planner updates

school planning- several subjects

laundry

choir- probably unless the weather is a problem

art lesson

games- play them and put them away

reading time

school island

tidy the kitchen

blog work

group work- I need to decide what to do about book club

It's snowy here! But, it's not amazing because it's super blowy and we're not getting near as much as north of us. This is lake effect which means if the wind is blowing, it's snowing. We're just not in the heavy bands. Paige, I think you asked if I'd still take Dan to work. Yes, we've got snow tires. Unless it was super deep, I'd take him. If it was bad, he'd take the bus in.

Plenty on the docket. I'm working on a work routine with my blogging. I need large time blocks to get things done. The morning block is easy. It's the block later in the day that I'm working on. It might be I need the largest time block in the morning and only rely on an hour later in the day.

Still getting our school groove. You know how it is to jump back in after the holidays and feel like you need to do all the things at a super high quality?! Slow and steady wins this race, friends! Faithfulness is key.

Ok, I'm adding something to my list. Today is the perfect day to try and see snowflakes under a microscope! The snow is blowing everywhere and there's plenty falling.

When the boys come around, I'm going to take our microscope to the garage so it will get cold, but not snowed on and some microscope slides and a paint brush. We'll capture and observe. The garage is unheated and has electricity so I can plug the microscope in. I might need a table out there. The easiest would be the POH, but it's snowy. Maybe the front porch.

Heather -- you said: Still getting our school groove. You know how it is to jump back in after the holidays and feel like you need to do all the things at a super high quality?! Slow and steady wins this race, friends! Faithfulness is key. YES!!! THIS!!! I think this is what had me so stressed earlier this week with things not "doing" the exact way I wanted them, AND new schedules with K and trying to make things fit into our overall schedule. It's just new dynamics. Yesterday went better, and we've already checked some school off the list today We'll get in a new groove!
-- I think I told ya'll that K is at UA this semester (just for one class) --she's doing an online computer class and is taking ENG 103 on campus -- it's an Honors class that combines ENG 101 and 102, so she'll get credit for both. Yesterday was her first day, and she LOVED it She's riding in with a friend (so we didn't have to buy a $500 parking pass for 2 days a week ), so she'll go to the library for 3 hours to do school work, have class, and then come home. One more step towards independence. The Early College option has worked out well for her -- right now, she's intending to major in English and get certified to teach, which adds almost an extra year of classes/student teaching, so she'll have almost that much behind her starting off, which is good because the scholarship she currently has is for 8 semesters only. But, she also intends to roll directly into grad school, which adds more time. For her, it's been a very good thing. I just wish I'd started a few classes earlier and gone at a slower pace -- I think that intensity has kind of pushed some other things, but she's managed, and we've managed. I actually think the 2 classes she's taking this semester are going to be easier than the others she's taken (especially the 2 from last semester -- lots of reading and writing.....).

Heather -- FUN about the snow and microscopes

Here (for some reason, when I hit return, it's double spacing):

* laundry's going

* already done some school (French is knocked out 2 days in a row )

* a turkey is in the oven

* M is off teaching paino

* heading upstairs to work with Ben

* my friend Tracie and her two younger girls (close to C and B in age) are coming for the day in about an hour..... Tracie and I are going to massive freezer cooking. The kids will help and play …. We have A LOT on the menu plan. We'll see how it goes. I'm excited about the prospect of having plan and hopefully cutting back some on the grocery budget. …..

On taking time to get in the groove: Yes! We are working on our morning and school routine, but the housework routine is suffering. That is okay. I know that it will just take some time for us all to get back in the groove.
When I met with that young mom last night (she has two kids, 2yo and 6 months), one of the ideas I tried to encourage her with is that motherhood is messy. The messiness of life does not mean you are doing it wrong or that you have made a mistake, that is just the way life is with little ones. Getting back into the groove of school work is similar, it just takes some time! especially with multiple children.

HW - I have never looked at snowflakes through a microscope, that sounds really cool (pun intended). I hope you can get it set up without too much hassle!

Paige - I'm so glad Katie is excited about her class and the time she gets to spend on campus. And that you found a way around the $500 parking pass!

CH1: I am just trying to hang in there this week with the cleaning. Anything I get done feels like a bonus - ha!

CH2: Yes! The computer desk as well as my writing desk up stairs could both use some attention.

this afternoon/evening:
One of the pastors is supposed to call me to discuss me sharing something at a class on Sunday evening, this is not the normal one I work with.
work on upcoming events - I have some studying to do
more laundry
good dinner
work on putting away Christmas stuff tonight - for real!!!

My mom turns 70! this Sunday. My youngest sister and I made plans to celebrate with my mom on Saturday, but now the snow may ruin our plans.
We were going to leave Richmond early Saturday morning, I would pick up my sister on the way, and meet my mom at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk (Paige - I'm sure you've been there!) They currently have an Ansel Adams exhibit my mom wanted to go look at and my step-dad isn't really interested. Then, we made reservations for a late lunch at a local favorite restaurant, Free Mason Abbey. The restaurant is in a renovated Abbey. My mom is worried about us spending money due to the government shut-down etc., so lunch and the visit was to be our gift. I hope we can still do it!

Loving, learning, and living in central VA with my adventurous husband of 14 years and our three children.

Good afternoon! It's been beautiful and clear today but some clouds are starting to roll in; we are supposed to get snow tomorrow.

I did school with the kids, and am doing a bit of laundry going. The load in the washer now is sheets. Hopefully I will remember to get them dried and the bed remade before bedtime.

This morning I went with Belle to the orthodontist before she went to work. They put 2 new hooks on for bands, and will plan to take her braces off in 2 weeks. Unfortunately both hooks are already off and we have to go back tomorrow after her dentist appointment. The dentist and the orthodontist would not be my preferred way to spend my day off. Poor girl.

I had an MT appointment, and got home to find that P is cleaning the refrigerator, and K is on the treadmill. We're going to head to Mom's to see how she's doing, and to take her a pair of slip-on snow shoes my sister sent. After Mom's, I am going to come home, switch laundry, and head out again. In November I accidentally signed P up for a winter training program. I thought I was doing something else. By the time I found out what I had done, it was too late for a refund, so I'll be taking her to the training on Thursday nights for the next few weeks.

DH is supposed to be home tonight; I am glad.

Tomorrow will be full, as will Saturday. I am hopeful of continuing to work on the giant Project d' Declutter that we started, but realistically it might be next Tuesday before I can get back to it.

Enjoy your evening!

Heather, the pictures are amazing!

Paige, doing a freezer cook with a friend sounds so fun to me.

Angela, I hope you still get to do your special day with your mom.

Robin, wife for 22 years to a wonderful man, and mama to 20yo Belle; 18yo Kitty; 14yo Princess, and 12yo Boyo.
Words for 2015 and 2016 and probably forever: Be her.

Just now getting on since I got a late start this morning. I stayed up until about 1:30 finishing my book last night so I didn't get up until I absolutely had to, then it was time to make breakfast and get ready and get school going...

Heather, I love the snowflake pictures! So awesome!

Paige, what recipes are you and your friend making?

Angela, I hope you guys still get to do your mom's birthday fun!

Robin, you have a lot going on and you're doing a great job!

Today's list:
*school-my stuff is done
*our sheets--ready to be put back on the bed
*laundry--finishing up now
*swim team
*ran dh's wallet to him at work
*Street Cats
*food pantry--everything was already stocked! Woot!
*library to pick up hold
*soup in the crock pot--almost ready to go in

Next up...
*take ds to his county officer meeting
*take dd to gymnastics
*go back to pick ds up--and maybe run by Target on the way? I'm out of laundry detergent even though I've been to the store a million times...
*ironing
*RAR challenge

It's getting cold out there so it will be lovely to come home to soup!

My plans for today:
-talk or text with the team member that is supposed to be joining us next week for the next two years. We’ve had some delays and we are still trying to figure out if she is going to make it next week or not.
-Algebra
-Biology
-History with W
-Shakespeare
-Grammar
-Math with A
-math with H
-phonics with A
-phonics with H
-Middle school history
-Middle school science
-Read aloud
-walk
-laundry, I’ve got a big pile to fold
-put away Christmas décor at home
-sort through all the church Christmas décor
-put away church Christmas décor
-grocery shop
-make dinner
-get a kid to sweep
-get a kid to dust
-get a kid to clean the sliding glass door
-clean the washroom sink
-clean the bathroom
-send photos to a church that is asking for some for a missions spotlight they are doing on us
-practice piano

This is a pretty big list! We’ll see if I can really do it all.

Heather, I don’t think we’ve found our grove in the first place, mainly because of sleep issues, but we are plugging away. Things should get easier when our teammate arrives. She plans to help me with teaching the kids so that I will have some time to learn Japanese.
Cool snowflake photos!

Paige, I’m glad things are working out well for your dd. I’m thinking about doing at least one class online or at a community college with my high schoolers before they graduate.

Angela, I hope your plans with your mom come about!

Jen, I’ve been known to stay up late reading a book.

Robin, I would love to come home and find a kid cleaning my fridge. It is one of the chores I hate the most.

Lindsey Carter
Wife to Chris for 19 years and Mom to Wesley 15, Adelaide 14 and Hudson 11